Summary of My Trek
After running an amazing 04:55:59 at the Two Oceans ultra-marathon, I had a meeting with the energetic team at First Ascent the following morning. A half-hour of storytelling culminated in the continued support of Performance Brands with their First Ascent range of clothing. They were going to sponsor my clothing for the trek to Everest base camp with my family. Things had changed, however. My family was no longer going with me. We had difficulty in raising the necessary funds for them. They had, however, agreed that I should go.
Now that my clothing was being sorted out to be shipped to Nelspruit, I sprinted back home to start packing. I have been a First Ascent SA supporting adventure climber since 2010. A journey that helped me to reach some known heights in Africa and the Himalayas. I’ve used their mountaineering range of clothing during my no-oxygen attempt of Mount Everest in both 2014 and my return in 2018 where I climbed all the way up to the death zone without any issues.
I was very excited about the opportunity to return to Everest to celebrate my 20th anniversary. It was an absolute delight to be joined by Lungiswa Tshayana (SA) , Itumeleng Mehale (SA), Lisa and Alan Chapman who came from England, as part of this historic trek.
14 May 2023
I took a shuttle bus from Nelspruit to OR. Tambo International Airport, arriving just in time for check-in and bag drop. I met a few of our friends who had come to send us off. Itumeleng and Lungiswa were already at the airport too. There was not much hustle at check-in and bag drop, except that one of the people who had joined us was refused travel due to passport issues. This was very disappointing.
We said goodbye to our friends and well-wishers as we disappeared towards passport control. We would be gone for a little while. The Everest base camp trek had begun.
15 May 2023
We landed in Kathmandu in the afternoon. After immigration formalities, we walked out to be met and welcomed by our friends from Family Alpine Trek and Expeditions.
A young man, Thilee Sherpa, met us and led us to the shuttle bus. We had arrived at the city of the big mountains. Beating the afternoon traffic, we duly arrived and checked in at the Kathmandu Guest House Hotel. This would be my third stay here, my last of which had been in 2019 when I came to run the Everest marathon. I was introduced to the Kathmandu Guest House Hotel by my late friend John Doble in 2018. I will never stay anywhere else.
16 May 2023
My old-time friend, Mr LP Sherpa and his grandson Thilee came to meet us for a briefing and final formalities. I met LP in October 2002 while on a pre-Everest preliminary expedition with Jagged Globe. He was the Sardar then. We liked each other and have been friends since. LP had organized the last of John’s trekking expedition to Tibet’s Mount Kailash in 2018, which I joined him for.
I was looking forward to hearing about the plan for the next couple of days. The briefing was short and sweet. The greatest news from LP was that we were flying the next morning from Kathmandu airport to Lukla instead of the usual long bus drive to some domestic airport. This was awesome news. It doesn’t happen often. We set off straight away to pack and make ready for our big flight. An early dinner at Gorhana House Restaurant was enjoyed. We got treated to several Nepali dishes as well as live music and performances.
17 May 2023
I had not slept well because of the excitement of flying to Lukla. Not for Lukla’s airport popularity, but the fact that the trek was starting in due time and as planned. It was unreal.
All five of us followed our two guides, Thilee Sherpa and Pawan Rai to the Sita Airline check-in desk. The airport was already a hive of activity early in the morning. Our bags were weighed and shoved into a huge pile. Then the wait began.
After a while, we received our boarding passes and then more waiting. After nearly three hours we got called up to the boarding gate. Then on to the buses and then a good half an hour wait inside the bus in Kathmandu heat. We watched one Yeti Airline plane after another take off and land. But none from Sita. This was concerning because nobody said anything. Just wait and be patient, you tell yourself. But then, a tiny flying machine landed and taxied towards our bus. I looked on the side for the name. It was Sita’s - a Dornier-228. I should have noticed by the number of passengers on the bus that this was such a small aeroplane. It did the formalities of refuelling and inspection. We were called to board. A Nepali air hostess welcomes us, warning us to mind our heads as we crouched down into our free seating arrangement. Boarding complete, we hit the runway and the clouds.
The propellers buzzed, pushing the machine forward as we craned our necks to try and locate another Mount Everest. To some, every mountain that showed up looked like Everest. I sat there and just watched. I knew exactly how far Mount Everest was. I was like them twenty years ago.
The flight to Lukla was fine. We landed smoothly. We met our three young Sherpa team of porters Arjun Rai, Porshu Ram Rai and Bijay Rai, and started our trek right away. Posters of the 70th-anniversary celebrations of the Hillary and Tensing Everest marathon dominated the valley toward Tok-tok ( Phakding). I was here to celebrate my very own first ascent.
Our start from Lukla was perfect, apart from the threat of rain showers in the late afternoon. It did not rain much. We checked in for the night at one of the lodges/tea houses at Phakding. We had had a terrific start, all members seemed to have enjoyed the day. Our lodge had free showers, never to be missed because “free” is rare in this valley.
18 May 2023, Namche Bazaar
It appeared as if all roads lead to, then from, because very few people were trekking out. Many of us were trekking toward base camp even this late in the season. The route was busy with trekkers, porters, mules etc. We plodded on slowly, crossing one suspension bridge after another. Some are shorter while others are quite long and intimidatingly wobbly. Lisa did not take to them kindly. She has a fear of heights. Thilee helped her with each and every one of them. The views were just magical. Every turn led to another magic sight. We stopped for lunch at another beautifully situated tea house beside a raging river. Its rumbling melody was so soothing.
After refuelling and with all the energy from lunch, we took on the steeper part of the trek which leads to the famous Namche Bazaar. After a stunning day of enjoyable trekking, we checked in at Himalayan Lodge in Namche. We settled in for a deserved two nights' rest and acclimatisation. We had reached an altitude of 3440 M - the acclimatisation day was mandatory.
19 May 2023
This was our rest and acclimatisation day. I woke up to a stunning morning with a clear blue sky. When I looked out the window, Kongde Ri, the only towering peak west of Namche, greeted me with gorgeous views of its snow-covered flanks. I got up, put on my running clothes, and hit the upper slopes of Namche following the Everest Base Camp main trekking route. It was not too cold for running. I ran for about 5 km towards Everest before turning back for breakfast. I was very surprised with how my lungs coped with the altitude. I had run here in 2019 when I came specifically to run the Hillary and Tensing Everest marathon. Maybe that is why I didn’t feel the effects of the altitude this time. It is your attitude, not the altitude, they say.
We had breakfast before starting our day’s activity. The plan was to trek up to about 4800m above Namche and then down to the village of Khumnjung where the late Sir Edmund Hillary built a school. The trek up to the Everest View Lodge was awesome with stops at the waste recycling and management facility. Here, the team had a chance to play and climb Mount Everest in 3 minutes. It is a technology that takes you all the way up. I still refused to do it.
After exploring Khumnjung we trekked back to Namche Bazaar to rest for the afternoon.
20 May 2023, Tengboche
This was to be a very long day of trekking. We started soon after breakfast following my running route with Mount Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Thamseku all staring at us magnificently, as if saying, “We are waiting for you.” I salivated as I looked at the mountain which I had thought was Mount Everest all those years ago when I first walked this valley. A mountain that I still refer to as the mountain of my heart. Ama Dablam will forever be a darling of mine. One of those I must climb one day, even if I do not climb any other. Mount Everest and Lhotse looked far. From the viewpoint of these giants, we stopped to take pictures. As I stood there, a memory came to my mind. Twenty years ago, John Doble and LP were walking back down to Namche from Everest base camp when they stopped right where we were on the morning of 26th May. They looked back towards Everest. It was blanketed in a thick cloud. I imagined John asking LP “Where do you think they are right now”? Oh, “They are already coming down and I am sure Sibusiso, and the team submitted”. John took out his camera and took a picture of that moment. I was hidden behind the clouds, yet he still saw me struggling my way down. That was the strength of his support for my Everest attempt.
I had to contain myself after that reflection. I stood and faced Everest. I heard John whisper the words “ Isn’t she beautiful! You have been up there mfowethu”. I took my backpack and walked on.
This became another day where I became the celebrity of the trek, just like I had become during our trek to Namche from Phakding. The Indians loved to hear about my achievements. I enjoyed the brief celebrity status which I shared with one of their own, the Guinness Book of Records’ record-holder who became the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, as well as all the volcanoes on the 7 continents. He was leading a big group of trekkers from India. We loved their company.
We checked in at the Tengboche and I soon went for my second run. I was using every opportunity to remind my muscles that we had a big race to run back home.
My small group had done well and had adapted well to the altitude. I only hoped they continued to do well.
21 May 2023
A snowy morning run. I woke up to a snow-covered surface at Thengboche. It was such a stunning sight. I was not deterred. I ran down towards Everest again for another 5 kilometres one way before turning back to the tea house for breakfast. Excellent running again. After breakfast, we trekked along a stunning valley with lots of rhododendrons, most of them were in bloom, which was just beautiful.
I was very pleased with our progress as we checked in for a short lunch stop at one of the tea houses before arriving at Dingboche in a total whiteout. I was disappointed because I had wanted the group to see what was around them. Perhaps it was ok that they had not seen much of the area so that the next day would be a pleasant surprise. Green Tara Lodge was to be our home for two nights after having reached 4300m. This is the best practice at high altitudes.
22 May 2023
A day like no other. In my previous visits, I had never seen a day like this one. It had snowed throughout the night apparently. But none of us had noticed it because snow is usually quiet. I had planned to go for a run in the morning and had asked the man of the house to open the door for me. My alarm went off at 05:00 am. I opened the window and checked outside. Wow! Everything was just a blanket of white. The ground, the valley, and the mountains. Ama Dablam was towering over the village. It was just too beautiful. Looking up at the sky, it was clear blue. This meant that it was freezing. But once committed, always committed. I put on my running clothes and picked up my camera to take a couple of shots before going for the run. My cell phone battery had died. I was debating whether to take my camera or not because it is big for running with. When I saw the man open the door for me as I had asked, I felt embarrassed to go back to the house to drop off the camera. Out I went with my camera in hand and ran down the valley. But I could not stop taking photos. I had never seen a day like this. I was pleased I had decided to take my camera with me. My morning run was turned into a photographic run. I loved it. I still ran my longest distance and time. 14 km in total. When I ran back to the tea house, I was just fulfilled and pleased to be doing the trek.
I found my friend in the same mood - just as mesmerised by the beauty of the mountains. We trekked up above the village to an altitude of about 4900 m. It was just stunning. The views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Island Peak are just breathtaking. Looking west, Thilee pointed to a mountain which he said was Cho-Oyo. Yes, we could see as far as Tibet!
We retraced our footsteps back to the lodge to rest for the afternoon.
23 May 2023
An unforgettable day. We left Dingboche soon after breakfast. The conditions and weather were just great. We took it easy as the people were already starting to feel the effects of high altitude. We stopped for lunch at Thukla, the last tea house before the Khumbu Valley. Once done with lunch, we climbed up the notoriously steep climb to the top of where the Thukla memorial is nestled. We entered the memorial area and took a rest. While we rested, I asked Thilee and Pawan to help me build a memorial stone cairn in honour of John Doble. One stone after another, we hauled them up to the site. Pawan started building while Thilee and I brought more stones. Before we knew it, there was a towering Cairn among the many that represent the memories of those who loved mountains yet died while climbing them. It was an honour for us to honour our departed friend in such a way.
I knew for sure that John would have stopped here and spent time looking at the names of the fallen heroes and heroines, paying his respects to them. I felt his presence as we built his cairn. I was very pleased that, even though we had not deliberately positioned it where it was standing, it was right in front of Ama Dablam, a mountain we both loved.
This was a sombre moment, a moment to reflect on a life lived and a life departed. We walked to Lobuche Lodge quietly. I could not stop visualizing the memorial cairn we had just built for John. I felt very peaceful from there on.
24 May 2023
“Your mood should never be determined by how the day looks like at wake up.”
It had been freezing at Lobuche with temperature readings as low as -5 ℃ in the room. I was pleased to have a warmer sleeping bag and duvet from the lodge. I woke up determined to run again. My alarm went off, and I was upland off. Most would have thought it cold and miserable. It was a delightful day of running for me. I took off back tracking towards Thukla. When I got to the memorials I went to straight to John’s. I greeted him and wished him peaceful rest. I continued running, taking the route through Chola Pass towards Gokyo. This was a lovely stretch of high altitude running. I met two Russians. We greeted each other and spoke a little before I continued my run. I turned back after reaching 7km one way. I got back to the lodge for a quick breakfast and a sad farewell to Lisa who had to unfortunately evacuate due to high altitude related complications. I was here, broken. Alan was devastated. But sometimes we have to be more realistic. When life is at stake, we can never risk it.
The rest of us carried on towards Gorackshep; while Thilee made sure that Lisa was looked after until the helicopter arrived to pick her up. Alan was visibly disturbed by Lisa’s situation. Like any other loving and caring husband, he wanted to go back down with Lisa. But she had insisted that he must go on and finish the trek. The trek from Lobuche lodge to Gorakshep was very busy. Many trekkers and climbing sherpas were already walking out. This was the end of the season obviously. Porters carrying oversized loads on their bags became a common sight.
The other main attraction was the forever cracking Khumbu Glacier. We heard not many avalanches apart from the disturbing noises of helicopters. Their activity up and down the Khumbu Valley is such a sad experience.
The entire day overall was enjoyable. We checked in at Gorakshep in the afternoon. We left Lubuche a bit late since the distance between the two high altitude villages was short. Our lodge was packed.
I did not like Gorakshep. Not the place itself but the lodge where we stayed. Yes, I understood that the season was nearly ending, but then you do not take people’s money if you are tired of serving them. You close. With no other options to choose from, we endured the two nights at Gorakshep.
25 May 2023
Africa Day. Our aim was to climb to the peak of Kala Phatthar at 5640 M. Most groups do this trek as their last. I preferred that we do Kala Phatthar first and then Everest Base Camp. It made a lot of sense to me to do it in this order since the Everest Base Camp trek from Gorakshep is much easier than the climb up to Kala Phatthar. Why would I do easy and then harder next?
Sticking to our plan, we woke up to a stunning morning again in Khumbu. It was a clear blue sky and not terribly cold in my own experience. We were at 5100 m. I suggested that we start with less layers on the body. We climbed up slowly. The views of Pumori, Nuptse, Everest and the Khumbu icefall around base camp dominated our views. It was just magnificent. Everyone was doing well even though Itumeleng was having a tough day at the office. She was struggling. I had to take charge and set up a pace that I knew was going to help her to regain her strength and keep going up.
Lungiswa and Alan were quietly plodding on slowly without showing much stress. The day was just what we climbed Kalaphathar for: views of Base camp and the entire face of Mount Everest. We were rewarded with magic.
We returned to camp to rest and just enjoy being on the mountain.
We had just finished lunch when a group of trekkers arrived and stopped outside our lodge for a tea break. They were a big and very social group. One of them walked in to sit and greet us. Itumeleng spoke to him, asking him where they had come from. He replied with a joke saying “ I don’t know, all I remember was Lukla and then from there on everything becomes a boche this this and boche that.” We laughed about it because we had also spoken about that very fact. Namche, Thengboche, Pangboche, Debouche, Dingboche, Lobuche. Yes, it never ends.
It would transpire that he was with a group of trekkers led by Jamling Tensing Norgay. The son of the first man together with Hillary to summit Mount Everest. He kindly took me to meet Jamling and Tommy Heinrich, the first Argentinian to summit Mount Everest in 1995. This was so historic. Here I was on Africa Day, being the first black person and the first black African to summit Mount Everest, sharing the mountain with the greatest. It was a bit too much to take in. The group was here to celebrate Hillary and Tensings’s 70th Anniversary. I was here to celebrate my 20th anniversary. Remarkable. Jamling and Tommy were kind enough to even sign my journal.
I felt very encouraged by their presence on the mountains. To see that they still value what their fathers did 70 years ago. I missed Hilary’s family though because they were back in Namche.
After that Historic moment there was nothing else to do except to journal.
26 May 2023
The Day.
I looked up towards the mountain and thought to myself “I was still going up at this time.” I climbed strongly throughout the night. It had been cold and windy, but we were still fighting on toward the top. It was 05:00 am as we stood outside the lodge about to take the first step to Mount Everest Base. We were not going for the top this time. The morning was warmer than my summit day morning. We were the first group on the trail because most groups start from Lobuche now. A few porters shared the route with us. My thoughts were dominated by the morning of 26th May 2003. I could not help it. I was living every moment of that morning. The sunrise was magical. Everybody did well enroute and we got to Base Camp just about the same time I stood on top of the world twenty years ago. We hugged and cried a little. I looked up towards the summit of Mount Everest. It felt like she was looking down at me and saying “I am still waiting for you”. Was I interested in being up there? No. Down here at her base was my better place.
We took pictures. Celebrated the day and walked away.
Author: Sibusiso Vilane
©Sibusiso Vilane